Conrad rubbed his arm and flexed his hand. Pins and needles ran from his fingertips to his shoulder. “As healed as it’s going to get. Too much nerve damage. I have a constant tingling sensation, and numbness in various places. Can’t really grip anything, so holding a gun is out.”
“Can you switch dominant hands?” Hank asked.
“I’ve been working on it, but I doubt I will ever get as proficient with my left hand as I was with my right.”
Hank nodded and traced the rim of his mug with his finger. “So, you and Doc—I’m sensing some history there—am I right?”
“Yeah, we met in Syria, had a one-nighter that developed into more. Then I shoved my head up my ass and pushed her away. Blamed her for my injuries—she hadn’t done enough to save my arm, so why did she decide to save my life—”
Hank’s eyebrow quirked up, and Conrad sighed. “Yeah, sound familiar? Anyway, by the time I pulled my head out of my ass, it was too late. She was gone. I was living in my father’s basement wallowing in depression and self-pity.”
“And now?” Hank asked.
“Now, it feels exactly the same, but at the same time, completely different. My feelings for her haven’t changed. But we are different people now. So much has changed.”
“And yet, you feel the same. And if the way she looks at you is any indication, her feelings haven’t changed, either.”
“Nah, I think it’s too late. She said as much—she doesn’t want to risk me hurting her again.”
“Are you planning on hurting her again?”
“I’d just as soon toss myself off the side of the Crazy Mountains, but that’s not the point. If she doesn’t believe I won’t hurt her and give me a chance, then there’s no hope of being together again.”
“So make her believe you.”
“Yeah, because it’s just that easy.”
“Oh, I never said it was easy, but you and I both know that the best things in life never come easy. You work for what you want, and you don’t accept failure.”
“Got any ideas where I can start, oh-wise-one?”
“What is she most afraid of if she lets you back in?”
Conrad mulled over the question. The day they sat in the lobby after she received her divorce papers popped into his head. She had loved once, and her ex had cheated on her. And she had trusted Conrad with some of her greatest regrets, and he had used it to cut deep.
“She doesn’t trust me. Doesn’t trust what men say, because their words eventually break her heart.”
“Show her you can be trusted with her heart.”
“I tried to talk to her yesterday. She says she forgives me, but wants to just leave things as they are now.”
“Well, brother, if she’s the one, then don’t give up until you’ve got her. I know from experience that life is a whole lot better when the person you love is by your side.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate all your help.”
Hank stood. “And don’t put off until later what can be done right now,” he said as he walked away.
Love. Was he in love with Doc? They hadn’t had much time together in Syria. He felt deeply for her, but wasn’t sure if that equated to love. Yet.
Wouldn’t matter what he felt if he couldn’t convince her to give him—give them—a second chance.
He jumped up from his chair, deposited his empty cup in the sink, and jogged out of the kitchen toward Hank’s office. “Hey, can you give me Doc’s cell number?”
* * *
Buzzing came from the pocket of Julie’s white lab coat. She checked the screen. Not a number she recognized. Not an area code she was familiar with, either.
Clicking the answer button, she said, “Julie Sutton.”
“Doc.” A deep male voice that sluiced through her like molten lava, searing her veins, and deliciously heating her core.
Conrad. His voice still had the ability to make her go weak at the knees.
“Are you busy?” he asked.
“No, just doing paperwork until my next patient comes in. What can I do for you?”
“I—” he paused and she heard him sigh. “I thought we could talk about…things.”
Things. Georgie and the change of ownership, most likely. Her heart fell to her stomach. Even though she had told him there was nothing more between them other than friendship, she still felt a cold shiver of disappointment at not being more. “Uh, sure. Want to come over for dinner tonight?”
“That’d be great.”
“What are you doing this afternoon?”
“Not much of anything.”
“Well, if you want, you can come by the clinic and pick up Georgie. The two of you can spend some time together out at my place. I’ll leave after my last appointment.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, you and Georgie haven’t had much time together since you’ve been here, and that’s my fault for roping you into my drama.”
“You didn’t rope me, Doc,” he said, his voice low and commanding, sending a delicious wave of desire through her. “No one threatens you without me stepping in to help.”
“I’m happy you’re here.” Shit, she hadn’t meant to say that. She quickly added, “Georgie has missed you.”
“I’ve missed her. And you, Doc.”
Silence stretched between them.
“So, do you know how to get to my office?”
“Yep, I’ll be there in thirty?”
“Perfect. Just pull around back, there’s parking in the rear.”
“See you soon, Doc.”
The promise of seeing him again sent her heart nearly bolting out of her chest. She murmured some type of goodbye and ended the call. Turning her attention back to the notes from her last patient, her mind wandered to her upcoming evening with Conrad.
Thirty minutes—on the dot—Julie glanced out her office window as Conrad pulled into the parking lot. “Let’s go, Georgie,” she called to the dog, as she hurried through the door. She forced herself to slow down as she made her way out the back door and down the steps.
Once Georgie hit the door and saw Conrad step out of the vehicle, she took off running. He kneeled down, and Georgie launched into his arms, squirming and licking and yelping with joy. Julie’s heart squeezed at the sight of it. Watching the two of them, seeing how much Georgie loved and had missed Conrad, warmed her more than coffee in front of a roaring fire.
Conrad looked up at her as she made her way across the gravel lot toward them. His eyes danced and glittered, and for a moment Julie hoped some of that happiness she saw in them was meant for her.
“Hey, Doc.”
She inhaled, and caught a whiff of the clean, soapy smell mixed with his own masculine scent. He was wearing a tan suede button up shirt under a light jacket. His hair was slightly longer than he had worn it in Syria, but most likely still within military regulations.
You can take the man out of the military, but not the military out of the man…
“Looks like someone is unhappy to see you,” she chided. “I expect it will be hell trying to get her to go with you.” She smiled so he would know she was joking with him. Pulling a set of keys from her pocket, she twisted the house key free, and handed it to him. “For the side door. Make yourself at home. There’s coffee, if you want to make some…or I have some beer in the fridge. Help yourself to anything you find. Georgie should have food and water, so no need to worry about that.”
She knew she was rambling.
He flipped the house key in his hand and pocketed it. “I’ll try not to burn down the house before you get there.” A quirky smile tipped up one side of his mouth. Lines crinkled at the edges of his eyes. So handsome, yet he had such an endearing quality about him. When Conrad smiled, he didn’t just smile with his mouth, it entered every facet of his face. Sexy and sweet.
She walked back toward the clinic and turned as he got behind the steering wheel. He waved at her through the windshield. She returned the wave, and watched him reverse, a
nd head out of the lot.
When she got back to her office, Brooklyn was staring out the window. “Spill it. Who’s the hot, hunky guy who just stole our dog?”
Julie laughed. “That’s Conrad, Georgie’s handler. She was his service dog.”
Brooklyn moved away from the window. “So, are you two going to work out shared custody—or is he just planning on moving into your house?”
“Nothing like that,” Julie said, and a twinge of icy sadness spread through her chest. She would like nothing more for Conrad to stay in the area, but he had no ties there other than his dog. And Julie had no intention of making it difficult for him to have Georgie. Even if it meant not having him close by. No matter how much she wanted that very thing to happen.
“So, what’s the story with you and him?”
“I met him while I was in Syria,” Julie said. “We were…friends.”
“Friends?” Brooklyn wagged her eyebrows. “Any good benefits come with that?”
“I’m not telling you!”
“So, there were! Did you two do the nasty?”
“Seriously—not talking to you about this.”
“You totally had sex with that man!” She dropped her voice. “Is he as yummy as he looks?”
Julie couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face at the memory of her night with Conrad. His hands caressing every part of her body. The way he moved inside her, making her want every inch of him. The way he made her feel as if she was the most important person in the world at that moment. “Yeah, he is.”
“You, bitch! You’ve been holding out on me. I want to know every detail—”
A blast erupted through the clinic. Glass shattered. Wood splintered and flew through the air. Julie felt weightless until her body slammed into something solid. She landed hard on her stomach, the momentum causing her chest to slam against the floor and bounce.
Lifting her head, she could see Brooklyn on the floor a couple of feet from her. Smoke was filling the room. A fire was burning somewhere in the building. They had to get out.
With her hands at her sides, she attempted to push her upper body up. Fuzziness filled her head. Blackness rimmed her peripheral vision, closing in around her. What little bit of strength she had, failed her, and she dropped to the floor once again as darkness consumed her.
Chapter 21
An explosion shook the vehicle, rattling the windows. Georgie jumped up from where she was lying in the front passenger seat, and let out a bark. Conrad’s gaze flew to the rearview mirror.
Smoke and fire billowed from somewhere a few blocks away. From where he had just been.
Doc.
Cold fear rumbled through his body. He checked for oncoming traffic, and yanked on the wheel, flipping a u-turn. Slamming on the gas pedal, he sped toward the clinic.
“Please don’t let it be Doc’s place,” he chanted over and over. When he turned the corner, his heart sank. The converted Victorian was engulfed in flames. Taking the alley, he swung into the parking lot behind the clinic, and threw the vehicle into park. He jumped from the vehicle, leaving the door open. Georgie was right behind him, both running toward the back door.
Moments earlier, he had left Doc standing there, looking so damn sexy in that white doctor’s coat. Where was she? Was she injured? Worse?
A vision flashed of Doc, covered in blood, sprawled on the floor, dead eyes staring back at him.
No! Not now…not when I’ve just found her again…
“Doc!”
An upper story window blew out, spraying shards of glass across the ground in front of him. Conrad skidded to a stop, covering his head with his arms. “Georgie, halt.”
The dog sat at his feet, and Conrad bent over to check her for any glass embedded in her fur. Not finding any, he jogged toward the back stoop. The door was hanging by one hinge. Smoke filled the interior, with a burst of intermittent flame.
Shit!
Going into a burning building was never a smart thing to do. Even in the noble pursuit of saving lives. Especially stupid without the proper gear. On top of all that, Conrad had no idea of the layout of the clinic. And no idea where Doc might be.
Didn’t matter. Burning building or not, he was going in after her. There was no way he would sit out here, saving his own sorry ass, while she was inside.
He placed his boot on the bottom step, testing it for strength. A cough came from the smoke. He lifted his head. A figure was coming through the door.
“Doc!”
She turned sideways, and Conrad noticed her arm was around the waist of another woman. The woman’s head hung forward, and it didn’t appear she was conscious.
Conrad darted up the stairs. With his hands on Doc’s shoulders, he looked into her face. “Are you hurt?”
A cough burst from her chest. She shook her head. “Brook—” She broke out in another coughing fit. Conrad took the young woman’s arm from around Doc’s shoulder, and lifted her in a fireman’s carry. He took hold of Doc’s arm, and guided her down the stairs and away from the burning house.
When they reached the SUV, Conrad carefully lowered the woman to the ground. Both he and Doc knelt beside her. Doc checked the woman, lifting each of her eyelids, running a finger along her neck to check her pulse.
A vehicle barreled into the parking lot. Conrad leapt to his feet, Georgie on alert at his side. Red and blue lights blinked from the dashboard of the vehicle, and a man in a black uniform burst out of the driver’s side, gun out, aimed at Conrad.
“Hands in the air, and turn around, sir,” the cop yelled.
Fuck. Small town and he was a stranger. Conrad didn’t argue with the man. Extending his arms, he turned around, and anticipated the cop telling him to get on his knees.
The cops hands patted along his sides and over his back. “Any weapons on you?”
“Yes, a knife.”
“Where?”
“Ankle.”
“What’s your name?”
“Conrad Matthews.”
“He’s with me,” Doc said. “We need an ambulance. She needs to get to the hospital. I can’t get to any of my supplies to treat her.”
The cop eyed Doc and the young woman, and then narrowed his eyes on Conrad. “Don’t go far, Mr. Matthews. I’ll need to talk to you.”
Within a few minutes, the area was mass chaos. Fireman pulling long hoses ordered everyone back. The cop ordered Conrad to stand at the back of the police car. He asked him questions about what had happened, and Conrad told him what he knew, which wasn’t much. The entire time, he kept one eye on Doc. She was still hovering over the young woman, directing the EMT’s while they strapped her to a gurney and loaded her into the back of the ambulance.
Conrad strode across the lot. He’d waited long enough. Too many emotions were ripping his heart to shreds. Fear. Anger. Worry. When he reached her, he grabbed her by the shoulders, and pulled her tightly against his chest.
“God, Doc, I was so scared I’d lost you.”
Her arms wrapped around his waist, and she clutched his jacket. “I’m okay,” she whispered.
He pulled back, placed his hand under her chin, and lifted her face. Brushing the hair back, he caressed her cheek. He wanted to lean in and kiss her. But they weren’t in that place anymore. Because of him. Now, when she needed comfort and strength the most, he was unable to show her the well he could offer her. He wanted nothing more than to show her that she was everything he wanted and needed, and he would protect her and love her with everything he had--but he wasn’t able to do it.
Love. There was that word again. This wasn’t the time to explore what the truth was. All he knew was he wanted to take care of her and show her how much she meant to him. Whether that was love, or a few degrees off, it didn’t matter. He felt a hell of a lot for this woman.
The cop had come up beside them. “Doc? Alright if I ask you a few questions?”
Doc wiped her nose with the sleeve of her coat, and nodded. The cop led her away. Conrad
was about to follow when a hand came down on his shoulder.
“You alright, man?” Hank asked.
Conrad inhaled deeply, slowly letting the breath escape his lungs. “Yeah, I wasn’t here for the blast. Doc and another woman were inside, though.”
Hank looked around. “Anyone hurt?”
“Doc’s fine, but the other woman just left for the hospital.” Conrad watched as Doc leaned against the rear fender of the cop car, her hand over her mouth, her head wagging back and forth. “Any idea what caused the blast?” Conrad asked Hank.
“Early indicator is a small incendiary device—most likely a homemade bomb.”
“Someone threw a molatov cocktail into the clinic?”
“That’s what I was able to surmise from the fire chief—unofficially, of course.”
“Do we know where Cook is?”
“My men say he hadn’t left his room, but when they went to check on him, he was gone. The piece of shit managed to get out the bathroom window.”
“Where did he go?”
Hank shrugged. “Not sure. They’re still looking for him.”
“It was him,” Conrad said. He fisted his hands into tight balls, wanting desperately to pummel Cook.
“I think so, too. I turned everything I know over to the police, and they are interested in talking to Cook, as well. Everyone is looking for the cocksucker. Eventually, the cockroach will turn up.”
Doc shook hands with the cop, and walked across the parking lot toward him. “I’m going to get her home and make sure she’s actually not injured. She’s hasn’t taken stock of herself since coming out of the clinic.”
Hank shook his head. “She’s damn lucky to be alive.”
Conrad nodded in agreement, but couldn’t get words out over the lump in his throat.
Too close.
He had come way too close to losing her.
Chapter 22
The cool night air blew the curtains out as it seeped under the narrow opening of Julie’s bedroom window. She rolled onto her side and pulled the comforter tight under her chin, staring at the sheer fabric billowing out, as light and airy as a cloud, before it was sucked back to the window.
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